Alabama women's soccer gets first NCAA Tournament win, tops Clemson 1-0

USA TODAY
A shorter commute: Lawmakers, lobbyists argued over adding flights at busy Reagan airport
Lawmakers have an interest in boosting direct flights to their states because Reagan is closer to downtown than Dulles.
NBC News
'Fear' and 'chaos' grip federal workers as Trump rapidly remakes the government
Fear, anger and confusion have swept across federal agencies as workers grapple with executive orders from Trump.
Reuters
Rubio warns of risk of China shutting down Panama Canal in any conflict
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he had "zero doubt" that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the U.S. and that Washington intends to address what it sees as a national security threat. Just days before visiting Central America on his first foreign trip as top U.S. diplomat, Rubio, in an interview with Sirius XM’s The Megyn Kelly Show, echoed some of President Donald Trump's concerns about Chinese influence over the strategic waterway. Trump, in his Jan. 20 inauguration speech, again accused Panama of breaking the promises it made for the final transfer of the canal in 1999 and of ceding its operation to China - claims that the Panamanian government has vehemently denied.
NBC News
What we know after American Airlines plane crashes with Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.
An American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., Wednesday night. All 67 people aboard the aircraft are presumed dead.
Associated Press
FDA approves painkiller designed to eliminate the risk of addiction associated with opioids
Federal officials on Thursday approved a new type of pain pill designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx for short-term pain that often follows surgery or injuries. Studies in more than 870 patients with acute pain due to foot and abdominal surgeries showed Vertex’s drug provided more relief than a dummy pill but didn’t outperform a common opioid-acetaminophen combination pill.
Associated Press
Republican Mike Rogers to again run for Senate in Michigan, AP sources say
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is gearing up to announce another Republican bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan, just months after he narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of his plans. Two sources familiar with Rogers’ plans confirmed his intention to enter the 2026 race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. The sources requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss Rogers' plans.
USA TODAY
The Old Farmer's Almanac spring 2025 forecast: Warm, wet spring for much of US
The Old Farmer's Almanac spring 2025 forecast calls for a warmer, wetter season across much of the U.S.
Associated Press
Some hospitals pause gender-affirming care to evaluate Trump's executive order
Hospitals in Colorado, Virginia and the nation's capital said Thursday they have paused gender-affirming care for young people as they evaluate President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at cutting federal support for such care. Denver Health in Colorado has stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries for people under age 19, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday, in order to comply with the executive order and continue receiving federal funding. It is unclear whether the hospital will continue providing other gender-affirming care for youth, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers.
Associated Press
Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice steps aside in pivotal union rights case
A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice said Thursday he will not participate in a pending case that will determine whether tens of thousands of public sector workers regain collective bargaining rights that were taken away by a 2011 law. Justice Brian Hagedorn drafted the law, known as Act 10, when he was chief legal counsel for then-Gov. Scott Walker. The Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this week asked that liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz not hear the case because before she joined the court she called the law unconstitutional, signed a petition to recall Walker during the fight over the law and marched on the Capitol in protest in 2011.
NBC News
Gabbard faces tough questions from Republicans over flip-flops on Snowden, surveillance
Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s pick to be DNI, was questioned about her praise for Edward Snowden and her stance on a surveillance program.
Reuters
Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court
A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters called the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge. The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association sued to block the rule, saying a Dec. 2022 appropriations rider reflected the U.S. Congress' intent not to extend emergency protections for North Atlantic right whales from earlier that year.
USA TODAY
FEMA sent to Carolina with funds diverted from ‘illegals’? No, that’s satire | Fact check
The claim originated with a satirical Facebook account. Nothing on FEMA’s website supports the claim.
NBC News
Lawmakers express worries about 'complex airspace' after deadly D.C. collision
Members of Congress expressed concerns about air congestion in an area where a commercial passenger jet collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River.
Associated Press
Sen. Bill Cassidy grapples with GOP loyalty and medical views in hearing with RFK Jr.
Sen. Bill Cassidy has emerged as a central figure in the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose nomination to health and human services secretary poses an equally consequential moment for the second-term Republican facing an uncertain political future in Louisiana. A physician-turned-politician, Cassidy has questions about Kennedy's past claims linking common vaccines to autism, a position the gastroenterologist rejects and sought repeatedly to convince the nominee to renounce during a committee hearing Thursday. Already at odds with a segment of his party for voting to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment, Cassidy acknowledged his own desire Thursday to see Trump succeed in his second term as president.
Associated Press
Israeli doctors say five released Thai hostages in "fair" health after 15 months of captivity
When the mother of one of the Thai hostages held in the Gaza Strip for over a year caught sight of her son on a Facebook livestream after his release Thursday, he had changed so much that she didn’t recognize him at first. Dozens of Israeli doctors, nurses and representatives from Israel and Thailand waved flags, sang and cheered Thursday as the five Thai hostages stepped off a military helicopter and entered a hospital outside Tel Aviv, where they will spend a few days undergoing medical tests and recuperating. Three Israelis were also released on Thursday, and Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners in the exchange.
AFP
'Not interested': Analysts sceptical about US, Russia nuclear talks
The United States and Russia have pledged their readiness to resume nuclear disarmament talks after years of confrontation, but analysts are sceptical that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can or even want to reach a breakthrough new agreement.The last remaining strategic arms control agreement between Russia and the United States is set to expire in a year.
Associated Press
Rubio says Trump’s interest in Greenland and Panama Canal is legit and driven by China concerns
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal is driven by legitimate national security interests stemming from growing concerns about Chinese activity and influence in the Arctic and in Latin America. Ahead of a trip to Central America that will start in Panama this weekend, Rubio said Thursday that he could not predict if Trump would succeed in buying Greenland from Denmark or restoring American authority over the Panama Canal while he is office. “What I think you can rest assured of is that four years from now, our interest in the Arctic will be more secure; our interest in the Panama Canal will be more secure,” Rubio said in an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly.
USA TODAY
'Struggling with your nomination': 4 takeaways from RFK Jr., Gabbard, Patel hearings
Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are among Trump's more controversial nominees, and faced tough questions from senators Thursday.
CNN
Migrant workers in Canada exposed to ‘shocking abuse and discrimination,’ Amnesty says
Amnesty International has said migrant workers in Canada have been exposed to “shocking abuse and discrimination” while working under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
CNN
Trump has a very inconsistent view of job qualifications
Less than a day after the deadly collision of American Airlines 5342 and a US Army Blackhawk helicopter killed 67 people over the Potomac River, President Donald Trump said common sense already told him what to blame: diversity programs creating a class of unqualified federal workers.

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